The latest Boeing and aerospace news, including updates about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, 747-8 and 737, Airbus A380 and A350, the anticipated Boeing 797 and Boeing jobs and layoffs

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Boeing third-quarter earnings call live blog

On defense: “We are in an era of significant fiscal restraint with our U.S. government customers.”

On commercial recovery:

“Although the pace of the global economic recovery has moderated in certain areas, we continue to see growth in air travel worldwide.”

The recovery is strongest in emerging markets.

“Both passenger and freight markets (are) rebounding more strongly than originally anticipated.”

“Yields remain strong thanks to the disciplined capacity management by airlines over the years.”

“Commercial orders for the quarter were encouraging.”

“Our commercial orders forecast continues to improve.”

Boeing now expects its book-to-bill ratio to exceed one this year.

On the 787 Dreamliner: “We have already completed the fatigue testing required in order to deliver the first airplane”

Working on completion of critical design review on 787-9 to start fabrication next year.

On the 747-8: The solutions to issues uncovered in flight testing are “manageable” but have disrupted flight testing and delayed first delivery.

James Bell, corporate president, chief financial officer and an executive vice president

Koito passenger seat disruptions “have largely been resolved.”

Making progress in talks with 787 suppliers and customers for compensation over delays.

Now expect to deliver 460 airplanes in 2010 with revenues of $31.5 million.

McNerney

If someone ordered a commercial airplane now: “It would be difficult to get one before the end of 2012.”

On 787 Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engine issue: “Rolls is confident that they can support our schedule with a hardware and a software fix. It is not going to require that they recertify the engine.” They just have to submit more data.

“The failure has been understood by Rolls, as they said, and they now have to show the regulators … the modifications they make to both software and hardware are sufficient to address what happened.”

On 737 replacement or re-engining: “With a new airplane in the 2020 time frame, it’s not clear that it would” make sense to re-engine.

Boeing has improved fuel burn on the engines by 5 percent since introducing the Next-Generation: “There’s another 2 percent out ahead of us. There’s a new interior. So there’s no reason to believe we wouldn’t keep improving that.”

“Something that may be nearer in would be the 777.”

On 747-8 issues: We’re comfortable with the fixes for the wheel-well and flaps 30 issues, and feeling increasingly comfortable that fixes are in hand for the low-frequency vibration and actuator issues.

On 737 and 777 replacement/updates: If we opt to replace the 737 in the 2020 timeframe, “We would probably have to address changes to the 777 before then. … We’re studying everything from a completely new airplane to modification to the wing and the engines.”

On how much of a factor the new healthcare law’s tax on “Cadillac” plans was in the company’s decision to ask employees to contribute more:
how much factor health bill: “I think the story’s more responding to overall cost pressures” than “any one element.

“That tax, which is pretty far out there (in the future), would certainly be a cost element that we have to deal with.”

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate..